8 Films for Escapism During Lockdown

The flights are grounded, the weekend getaways are off, but there are still plenty of films with which to (virtually) indulge your wildest travel whims. So come, dear reader, let us take to the neon streets of Tokyo, the dreamy shores of Phuket, the communal gardens of Notting Hill. All you’ll need is a Netflix login (and maybe Amazon Prime too).

Call Me By Your Name

Oliver! Elio! The names will ring melodically in the ears of anyone who’s witnessed this mesmerising masterpiece. And the languid, sun-dappled setting of “Somewhere in Northern Italy” (the only location detail given at the beginning of Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 film) will live on just as memorably. It was actually filmed in Lombardy—largely in the town of Crema, around an hour from Milan—and the dizzying beauty of the Italian countryside and architecture will have you yearning for a trip there as ardently as a teenager in the giddy grips of first love. Swoon.

Notting Hill

O for the days when a bespectacled bookshop owner could (just about) feasibly live behind that blue door on Westbourne Park Road. Notting Hill is romcom royalty, of course, but it’s also a lovely jaunt through West London (oh, and Hampstead Heath at the end). Join Hugh and get lost in Portobello Market, jump the fence of a private communal garden and bomb down Kensington Church Street to make it to The Ritz on time. Just don’t say you work for Horse & Hound if you stumble across some kind of Zoom press conference along the way.

The Beach

Ah, the tale that launched a thousand gap years (and sparked Shazza’s ill-fated relationship with nasty Jed in the second Bridget Jones). Danny Boyle’s thrilling interpretation of the novel by Alex Garland was filmed on Hat Maya, which is the main beach of Phi Phi Leh Island near Phuket, Thailand. It’s probably as close to paradise as we’ll get for a long while—plus, baby Leo! A no-brainer.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

In this psychological thriller from 1999, Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is sent to Italy to retrieve millionaire playboy Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law). The film explores Tom’s fatal obsession with Dickie’s lavish lifestyle, but it’s the fictional port of Mongibello—inspired by Positano and other gems on the Amalfi Coast—that entrances viewers. Director Anthony Minghella has said that the Italy explored in the Oscar-nominated film is the “Land of Ripley”, only accessible through the “distorted frames of a movie”. Fine with us...

Midnight in Paris

A film that transports the viewer in time as well as space, Woody Allen’s 2011 comedic fantasy sees Owen Wilson’s character beguiled by the 1920s Paris to which he is mysteriously transported each night. He parties with the Fitzgeralds, sips absinthe with Hemingway and generally plays out every disenchanted artist’s fantasy, but he also frequents some pretty fabulous establishments in the present day—the resplendent Le Bristol and Le Meurice hotels, among them. Ultimately, he falls for modern-day Paris in the rain. Well, that and Léa Seydoux.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Another Woody Allen film that manages to capture a visceral sense of place, both in Barcelona and Oviedo, the city to which Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) and Vicky (Rebecca Hall) accompany painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem). The narration says it all: “Vicky and Cristina drank in the artistic treasures of the city. They particularly enjoyed the works of Gaudí and Miró.” But even the spires of La Sagrada Familia are no match for Penelope Cruz’s show-stealing performance as Juan Antonio’s tempestuous ex-wife.

Lost In Translation

Courtesy of Focus Features/Everett Collection.

Sofia Coppola’s critically acclaimed film gives such a vivid impression of Tokyo that it’s possible to be tricked into thinking you’ve actually visited the city. Taking in everything from Shibuya Crossing and neon-streaked streets to shabu-shabu restaurants and karaoke booths, the funny and heartbreaking tale of two disconnected strangers meeting in a strange land feels even more delightfully distant in the middle of lockdown.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Nothing can compare to the thrilling culture shock of arriving in India for the first time, but this 2011 comedy about British retirees comes surprisingly close. Rajasthan, including the cities of Jaipur and Udaipur, provides the backdrop to this heartwarming tale, and the vibrant hues and tangible heat make it a feast for the senses.

Cocktail Hour

Sign up for our essential daily brief and never miss a story. It's on the house.